Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1887-03-10
WILMINGTON LETTER.
(FRoM OUR REGUL4R CORRESPONDENT
W.err1,,r,r1-, AFo.aI, - fQ07

(FRoA OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, March z, 1887.
Ere this letter reaches you the
Forty Ninth congress will have ex-
pired, and 1 had as we'll write its
obituary few hours in advance OF
its demise.
Many criticisms and slurs and
filings have been leveled at it during
the two brief years of its existence,
and many attempts have been made
to show that it has an unworthy rec
ord. But as matter of fact ii
makes much better showing than
any recent congress has done, espe-
cialY when it is remembered thst IT
was Democratic IN one branch and
Republican In the other, and conse-
quently unequipped for harmonious
and rapid progress.
One reason that it was constantly
derided and reviled as q failure was
because extravagant promises were
made for it and more was expected
than could be accomplished, where
one house was under the control of a
vigorous and alert opposition. The
FortY-Seventh congress was Repub-
lican in both branches and yet it did
nothing that is worthy of mention,
while the little that it did was done
very badly.
The Forty-NInth has enacted law
providing for the presidential success
sion; law for silver certificates,
law reducing the fee for money
orders; a law forfeiting unearned
land grants and restoring about sew
enty-five million acres to the public
domain open for actual settlers; q
law in the interest of the merchant
marine; law providing for valua-
BILE addition to the naRy; a law for
q national library; law allotting
lands in severalty to the Indians
the interstate commerce law; a law
establishing arbitration in labor con-
troversies; and 1t has redeemed
trade dollars and extended the free
delivery system.
While there is life there is hope,
and while 1 am writing the Forty
Ninth has three more hours to live.
It is frantic in its efforts to make the
most of this brief period of grace, and
bills are rushing through rapidly.
It is hoped and expected that among
them will be the one changing inaugu-
ration day from the bleak, windy
fourth of March to the soft balmy
day that the 30th of April brings at
this moment the reform measure
has not passed.
There have been night sessions in
both ends of the capitol during the
week and lively scenes have occurred
in the house through the wild efforts
of members, wanting little bills
through, to catch the speakers eye.
1t is amusing and even pathetic to
see the eagerness with which men,
bers stand in their places after morn
ing prayer and wait for speaker
Carlisle to finish laying before the
house the documents and personal re-
quests that accumulate on his desk.
When he is through and his eye is
to be abroad in the house,
the anxious members flourish bits of
paper aloft in order to attract his
glance, while occasionally one impa-
tieDt man calls "Mr. Speaker, be-
fore the proper tune, and then half
a hundred others shout "Mr. Speak
err, "Mr. Speaker" all at once.
The speaker is imperturbable and
his voice is always calm and steady,
no matter how exciting his surround
ings. At last evenings session q
score of members rushed into the
space in front Of the clerks desk,
and waving their bills wildly in the
air, vociferously claimed recognition.
The confusion on the floor added to
the buzz of conversation In the gall
leries, which were filled to their
utmost capacity, was SO great for a
time that business had to be suspend
ed, and, il was only by loud rappings
of the gavel and repeated appeals to
the members to preserve the pro-
prieties, assisted by the efforts of
the sergeant-at-arms and his depu-
ties, that the speaker succeeded In
restoring comparative order.
The president IS overwhelmed
with work, and remains at his desk
during a greater portion of the
night. These are the busiest days
of the year, if not of his whole term.
Congress must adjourn at noon to-
day, and any bills in his hands un-
disposed of at that time must fail
For the past few days he has had
more than hundred bills lying be-
fore him most of the time, for as
fast as he could dispose of them
others were brought in. Many of
them require close examination
which consumes much time.
Three important incidents have
occurred to keep alive the interest in
the presidents nomination of James